Chile: Metro de Santiago. Lines 3 and 6.

The investment, close to 2.8 billion USD, will increase the network in 37 kilometres and 28 new stations. Line 6 is expected to be inaugurated in the third quarter of 2017 and line 3 at the end of 2018. In addition, a strong investment is being made to transform the metro into the first one to be mostly powered by sun and wind in 2018.Lines 3 and 6 are the main growth challenge for Metro since its inauguration. Along with the four currently operational lines, two new lines are in preparation to begin construction and are estimated to be fully operational by 2018.

Line 6, which will cross from Cerrillos to Providencia, was announced at the end of 2009 and will have 11 stations, while the delayed Line 3 will link the communes of Huechuraba and La Reina with 19 new stations in 21.7 km.

During the year 2015 continued the construction of lines 3 and 6 that are the most challenging project in its history. The investment involves a financing structure composed of the contributions of partners (Fisco and Corfo), which represent two thirds of the total investment, and parts of Metro by one third.

Line 3 will be built in the centre of the capital and the stations Universidad de Chile and Plaza de Armas will combine the future line 3 with lines 1 and 5, respectively. Works began in June 2013 and the line will have 22 kilometres of extension and 18 stations.

Line 6 will cover 15.3 kilometres, will have 10 stations and directly benefit 7 municipalities and about 870,000 inhabitants.

After the inauguration of new lines, the Metro network will include:

• A total length of 140 km.

• 129 million trips per year

• 12 communes benefited.

• More than one million people benefited

• 2.7 million trips per day.

In addition, as announced last May by President Michelle Bachelet, 60% of the energy that will be consumed by the Santiago Metro from 2018 will be of solar and wind origin, making the means of transport the first metro of the world that is fed mostly with sun and wind.

Spanish Companies

In 2014 the tunnels, piques and galleries and most of the constituent elements of the systems were completed. Almost thirteen kilometres of tunnels and two of galleries were built, in addition to 55 pikes. At the end of the year, 86% of the budget had been tendered (and had a contract). The tenders began in 2012 and several Spanish companies have won important awards. IDOM is responsible for the technical inspection of the assembly, testing and commissioning of the two new lines, 6 and 3. In line 6 is carrying out the Detail Engineering of the ten new stations of the Line.

Since Saturday, July 9, the teams of the Development and Implementation of Lines 6 and 3 Project, along with CAF, are carrying out the rolling stock tests for Line 6 in the section Inés de Suárez- Ñuble, with the Ricardo Zúñiga, Head of Project, explained that: “Currently 11 trains have been brought to Talleres Cerrillos, those that will begin the static tests ( Non-regression test), which are performed in the same workshop. Once completed, the train is sent to the test section (between the stations of Ñuble and Inés de Suárez), in this sector the dynamic tests are started, where the functionalities and behaviours of the train in traction and braking are verified. In addition, from the registration system incorporated in the train, data is extracted (current, energy consumed, etc.), revealing the behaviour of the systems that compose the train.

To date, there are 3 trains with complete tests, which have been satisfactory, finding no abnormality in their operation.

For the future, the teams will continue with the dynamic tests of the rest of the trains, they will begin the unloading of trains in Talleres Los Libertadores and, by the end of the year, they will begin the dynamic tests of rolling stock.